Gujarat has begun implementing its Shipbuilding and Repair Policy 2026, setting out plans for four greenfield shipbuilding and ship-repair parks and six new ports along the state’s coast. The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has proposed an investment of ₹58,953 crore in the four maritime industrial clusters, while the new ports are expected to add about 124 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) to the state’s cargo-handling capacity.
The flagship project will come up at Kuchhadi in Porbandar district. The integrated mega shipbuilding park will cover 823 hectares and have a 2.7-kilometre waterfront. The project is expected to involve around ₹27,000 crore in capital investment and will receive ₹3,300 crore in financial support for land-side infrastructure through the central government’s Shipbuilding Development Scheme and the state government.
The Kuchhadi yard is planned to have an annual construction capacity of between 1.2 million and 1.5 million gross tonnes. The proposed facilities are intended to handle large vessels and include shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore fabrication, dry docks, marine equipment manufacturing, research and development centres, testing facilities and skill-development centres.
Three additional shipyards are planned at locations covering Saurashtra and Gujarat’s western maritime corridor. A cluster across Bhavnagar, Ghogha, Vadhera and Mithapur will occupy 535 hectares with a 2.4-kilometre waterfront and is expected to have an annual capacity of 0.6 million to 0.8 million gross tonnes. The project will be developed within an existing marine ecosystem, according to the report.
Another yard in southern Saurashtra will initially cover 250 hectares, with the possibility of expansion to 300 hectares. It will have a five-kilometre waterfront and a planned capacity of 0.6 million to 0.8 million gross tonnes a year. The site is expected to benefit from links to National Highway 51, the railway network and Amreli airport. A fourth yard in the western maritime corridor will cover 260 hectares, have a 2.3-kilometre waterfront and provide a similar annual capacity.
Ajay Kumar, who serves as managing director of the GMB and holds the role of chief maritime officer, said the projects would be developed as integrated industrial clusters rather than as shipyards alone. The technical groundwork, including mathematical modelling, bathymetric surveys and geotechnical surveys, has been completed by IIT Kharagpur, according to the report.
The policy also provides for six new greenfield ports under an industrial, energy and EXIM gateway plan. The proposed facilities include a port near the Mundra maritime corridor for coal, minerals and petrochemicals; a cement and chemicals facility; an energy port at Bhogat linked to a single-point mooring system and pipeline network; a textile and EXIM trade port; and a bulk cargo gateway in south Gujarat. Individual facilities are planned with cargo capacities of about 15 MMTPA or more, depending on their designated cargo mix.
The six ports will be developed through the build, own, operate and transfer model under public-private partnerships. Concession periods are expected to range from 30 to 50 years. Companies seeking to participate in the global expression of interest process must have an average annual turnover of at least ₹1,000 crore over the previous three years and a minimum net worth of ₹500 crore. The policy’s next implementation stage will involve attracting eligible developers for the proposed port and shipyard projects.
